Applicator tip treatment unit

ABSTRACT

A COMPACT TREATMENT UNIT FOR CLEANING AND OTHERWISE TREATING TIP APPLICATORS USED WITH MARKING TUBES AND OTHER APPLICATOR DEVICES FOR DISPENSING AND APPLYING PAINTS AND OTHER LIQUIDS. THE UNIT INCLUDES A HOUSING BODY AND COVER ADAPTED TO SUPPORT AND ENCLOSE BATH MEANS FOR BATHING DETACHED APPLICATOR TIPS AND INCLUDES A TUBE STAND AND SOAKING PIT FOR TREATING A TIP APPLICATOR WHILE ATTACHED TO ITS TUBE. THE TIP BATH MEANS MAY INCLUDE MEANS FOR DRAINING APPLICATOR TIPS AS THEY ARE REMOVED FROM THE BATH.

Nov. 2, 1971 A. R. MARSEE 3,616,805

APPLICA'IOR TIP TREATMENT UNIT Filed Jan. 3, 1969 INVEN'I'OR.

Arnold R. Morsee ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,616,805 APPLICATOR TIP TREATMENT UNIT Arnold Rex Marsee, Lima, Ohio, assignor to Artex Hobby Products, Inc., Lima, Ohio Filed Jan. 3, 1969, Ser. No. 788,900 Int. Cl. B08b 3/04 US. Cl. 134-85 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A compact treatment unit for cleaning and otherwise treating tip applicators used with marking tubes and other applicator devices for dispensing and applying paints and other liquids. The unit includes a housing body and cover adapted to support and enclose bath means for bathing detached applicator tips and includes a tube stand and soaking pit for treating a tip applicator while attached to its tube. The tip bath means may include means for draining applicator tips as they are removed from the bath.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the use of paint applicators, such a ball point paint tube for marking and decorating cloth, wowod and other surfaces, the applicator portion or tip unit of the tube requires cleaning from time to time to remove dried paint, lint, dirt and other materials which may impede or vary the flow of paint from the paint reservoir to the applicator or interfere with the proper application of the paint on the selected surface.

Prior techniques for cleaning the applicator have included the use of mechanical means, such as knives and pointed instruments and the use of cloths impregnated with solvents and solvent baths. Where solvent baths have been used, the cleaning of tips has required immersing fingers in the solvent or the use of instruments to remove tip from the solvent. Soaking tips attached to their applicators has been awkward and time consuming and storage of the cleaning equipment has been unsatisfactory.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION cleaning fluid bath, a second bath section for cleaning r tips removed from their applicators which includes a reservoir for containing a cleaning fluid, a drain holder adapted to hold tips while immersed in the bath and designed to facilitate their removal and drainage after soaking is completed.

It is a feature of the invention that tips, whether attached or detached from their applicators, may be cleaned using one compact unit. It is also a feature of the unit that between uses the baths may be stored in the unit, their evaporation being retarded by the use of a cover.

The unit preferably comprises three molded plastic sections, the body, the cover and the drain holder. The unit is inexpensive, compact, durable and provides a convenient way of cleaning and maintaining applicator tips in proper condition for use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing, FIG. 1 is an exploded view showing the unit with the cover and tip drain holder removed and a ball point tube applicator standing in one of the soaking pits of the unit; FIG. 2. is a top plan view of unit with Patented Nov. 2., 1971 its cover removed; FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the unit including its cover and FIG. 4 is a sectional view along line 44 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawing, unit 1 includes cover 2 with spaced-apart lips 3 which are adapted to engage with cam surfaces 4 on the wall 6 of the housing portion 5 of the unit. Cam surfaces 4 are canted to draw the inside surface of cover 2 against ridge 8 as the cover is twisted to close. Cover 2 and ridge 8 engage surface to surface to reduce air flow over the solvent baths and prevent the contained cleaning fluids from being spilled during handling of the unit. Cover 2 also has a circular dome 9 formed in it to accommodate upstanding handle 11 of the tip drain holder 12.

Soaking recesses or pits 13 have recessed ledges 14 for supporting ball point tubes and similar-shaped applicators to maintain them substantially in upright positions while the attached tip units 16 (FIG. 4) soak in suitable solvents in the pits.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the drain holder 12 is shown operably positioned in semicircular reservoir 17 with a horizontally extending border portion 18 resting on the upper surface of housing 5. If the depth of drain holder 12 is less than the depth of the reservoir, border portion 18 will support the drain holder on the horizontal surface of housing 5 to permit the solvent bath to flow under the drain holder as the bath randomly circulates in the reservoir. The depth of the holder may be greater than the depth of the reservoir provided that it is not so shallow as to prevent the cover from being properly seated when twisted on. Drain holder 12 has holes 21 in it sufficiently large to readily drain the solvent as the drain holder is raised out of the reservoir but small enough to not permit tip units to pass through them.

Any solvent or other cleaning liquid may be placed in the pits and the reservoir which is suitable for cleaning paint and other materials which dry on or adhere to the tip units 16. Tip units 16 of the type shown have nozzle sections 22 and threaded shank sections 23 for threaded engagement of the tip unit with the neck 24 of the ball point tube applicator 25.

In the operation of the cleaning unit, the cover 2 is removed, tip units 16 are placed in drain holder 12 which is placed in reservoir 17 and solvent 15 is poured into reservoir preferably to cover the tips in the drain holder. At the same or subsequent time one or both of the pits 14 are supplied with solvent and a ball point tube or other applicator is placed in one of the recesses to soak and clean the tip units (FIG. 4). When soaking of the tip units in the reservoir is complete, the drain holder 12 is lifted out of the reservoir, using handle 11, and the tip units are then readily removable from the holder without immersing ones fingers in the solvent bath. The holder may then be replaced, the upstanding applicators removed and cover 2 placed on the unit and twisted shut to reduce air circulation in the unit thereby lessening evaporation of the solvent during storage.

Preferably, the entire unit including the housing portion 5, the cover 2 and the drain holder 12 are each molded in one piece of polypropylene or other suitable plastic material.

I claim:

1. A unit for cleaning the tips of applicators connected to and disengaged from the applicators comprising (a) a housing including a substantially horizontal surface portion,

(b) first bath means mounted in the housing and positioned belowv the surface portion for containing a quantity of cleaning fluid,

(c) ledge support means associated with the first bath means for engaging portions of the body of an applicator which portions are adjacent the surface portion and thereby fully supporting the applicator in a generally-vertical position with its tip depending from the body and submerged in the quantity of fluid,

(d) a second bath means in the housing for bathing tips detached from their applicators, said second bath means in turn comprising (i) a reservoir for containing a bath of fluid,

(ii) drain holder means adapted to fit into the reservoir, and

(iii) gripping means for gripping the holder means 4 to remove it from the reservoir while permitting fluid to drain from the holder means. 2. The unit of claim 1 having in addition a removable cover adapted to be engaged with the housing.

References Cited ROBERT L. BLEUTGE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

